Shoe-guide for well-casings



R. C. BAKER.

SHOE GUIDE FOR WELL CASINGS APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 29, l9l9.

Patented Nov. 16, 1920.

INVENTOR fleufielz (13315 A TIIORNE Y5 PATENT OFFICE.

REUBEN C. BAKER, OF COALIN'GA, CALIFORNIA.

SHOE-GUIDE FOR WELL-CASIN GS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedNov. 16, 19.20.

Application filed September 29, 1919. Serial No. 327,280.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, REUBENC. BAKER, a citizen of the United States, residin at Coalinga, in the county of Fresno and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Shoe-Guides for Well- Casings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates towell construction and more particularly to a shoe guide used in conjunction therewith. I

In sinking well casings, it is often necessary to pass the well shoe and itsguide down through a string of pipes or through an open hole which is often filled with hard substances, such as oyster shell or very hard strata of clay and the like. In passing a casing shoe through such material, the cutting edges thereof are often damaged, and it is the principal object of the present invention to provide a shoe guide adapted to be applied to a wall casing shoe, for the purpose of protecting its cutting edge and for guiding it through a string of casing members.

The present invention contemplates the use of a yieldable annular side member adapted to normally seat within the end of a casing shoe and to be thereafter broken up' when the shoe has reached a point of operation.

The invention is illustrated by way of example, in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view in perspective, showing the shoe disassociated from its casing.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view in side elevation showing the casing shoe as applied to the shoe of well casing and the manner in.

which a cutting edge is protected during the lowering of the shoe.

Fig. 3 is a view in central vertical section through a casing shoe equipped with the shoe guide with which the present invention is concerned.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 10 indicates a casing shoe being formed at its lower end with a plurality of radial serrations 11 between which V-shaped cut ting members 12 occur. These members are more clearly shown in section in Fig. 3 of the drawings, where it will be seen that the outer faces of the cutting members coincide with the outer circumference of the casing shoe and that the inner lower faces are beveled inwardly and upwardly to form the V-shap ed cutting edges. The casing shoe guide is indicated at 13 and it will be seen to comprise a cylindrical body portion 14 formed integral with an enlarged ring portion 15 at the lower end thereof. The shoe guide 1s preferably cast in a single piece and is split longitudinally throughout its length, as indicated at 16. This permits the 'shoe guide to be contracted and to expand within the open mouth of the casing shoe. The lower end of this casing shoe guide will extend through the end of the casing shoe and a downwardly inclined surface 17 of the ring portion 15 will provide a seat for the beveled faces of the cutting members 12. The lower portion of thering 15 agrees in circumference with that of the casing shoe and will, therefore, form a continuation ofthe outer surface thereof. An inturned flange 18 is formed around the mouth of the ring 15 and provides a suitable guide for the casing and its shoe as they are lowered into the well shaft.

In operation of the present invention the casing shoe 10 is formed preferably as shown in Fig. 2- and then it is lowered through a string of pipes into a shaft or through hard substances. The side member is placed in position, as more clearly shown in Fig. 3. When in this position its inherent resiliencewill cause it to expand and to remain in position during the lowering operation. After the casing has been lowered to a desired depth and it is intended to operate with the cutting members 12 at the lower end of the casing shoe. a suitable tool may be lowered through the casing shoe to break up the guide member 13 and to force it out of the way so that the shoe may continue its cutting operation. The splitting of the member 13 aids in making it more easily broken.

It will thus be seen that due to the shell formation of the guide member and the manner in which it holds itself in po ition within the casing shoe to form a guide therefor and a protection for the cutting edges thereof that a highly desirable device is here provided which may at the same time be easily removed when reouired.

Having thus described the prefer-ed form of my invention, it will be under t'vul that vario s changes might be m de in the construction. arrangement and combination of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention, as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, What 7 the lower cutting edge thereof.

2. In combinationwith a casing shoean 'eXpansible tubular guide member having a portion extending into the mouth of the casmg shoe and a lower enlarged portion for protecting the lower :edge of said iSllOG.

3. In combmatmn with .afcasi-ng shoe hav- 111g acuttlng edge around its llowerend, a

:tubular cylindrical guide member split F1011- gitudinally and adapted to extend into :the

:month of said shoe and a bell-shaped portion formed of ithe continuation 10f said guide for extending outwardly "to protect the lower cutting edges of said shoe.

4. In combination with :a casing shoe ha'ving a cuttingedge around its lowerend and a tubular cylindrical :guide n'rember :split longitudinally and having :an upper portion adapted to telescope into the casing shoe and an enlarged lower'portion adapted to protect the'cutting edge of the casing shoe and to form a continuation with the outer surface of said casing guide.

5. In combination with a casing shoe having an outwardly flared end with a plurality of circumferentially spaced-recesses .430 provide cutting edges, a tubular cylindrical guide member I split longitudinally having an upper portion adapted "to telescop.e within the casing :shoe and a lower enlarged bell-shaped portion with its upper lflange surface complement-a1 to the outwardlyflaredendofthe-casing shoe and its intermediate portion adapted to form a continuation with the outer surface of the casing shoe.

In ,testimony whereof I have-hereunto set ;my; ha-nd;in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

C. BAKER.

. Witnesses v D. CANASS, F. K. Darin-n, Jr. 

